Magazine: Pasta: a healthy choice

Hungarians like pasta, this is well-reflected by the fact that we are seventh in the European pasta consumption ranking. Although the product is healthy, sales only expand in certain segments. Norbert Káhn, sales director of Gyermelyi Zrt. told our magazine that 70 percent of sales is realised by pastas made with eggs. However, sales of durum pastas are growing much faster than the market average. For instance sales of Gyermelyi’s Vita Pasta durum pastas have been increasing by two-digit numbers for years. Demand is also rising for premium pastas made with fresh eggs.

According to Gábor Molnár, sales director of Soós Pasta Kft., it is very difficult to increase pasta prices when ingredient prices go up. This is why the profitability of pasta manufacturers is rather incalculable. The sales director added that discount supermarkets are becoming more important in pasta sales. Lajos Kovács, managing director of Família Pasta Kft. informed us that the proportion of sales realised in promotion is high in the pasta category. He told that certain very cheap products don’t even meet the quality requirements indicated on their packaging.

Mr Káhn revealed that consumers are looking for high-quality, tasty, Hungarian products in shops and this has a positive influence on Gyermelyi sales. The company has invested more than HUF 7 billion in building a new, automatic-production pasta factory. Thanks to this step production capacity will double and exceed Hungary’s total pasta consumption. Production will start in the new factory in about a year.

Despite difficult market conditions, Soós Pasta managed to increase sales and improve its market position last year. Mr Molnár told that the number of health conscious consumers was increasing rapidly in the last ten years. Still, a large proportion of consumers prefer traditional pastas made with eggs. What is more, nowadays it is the group of health conscious consumers who don’t really eat pasta, despite the fact that there is no scientific result which says that moderate pasta consumption has a negative health effect.

At the end of 2016 Família Pasta came out with Farfalle and Little Star products in the no-egg durum category. Mr Kovács told that there is demand for these products and this shows that Hungarian consumers are becoming more open to higher quality, new-type products. The company is about to expand their whole wheat pasta product range. Innovation also affects product design: from June Família pastas will be present on store shelves with a new look.